School Social Worker

Location: Williamstown

JOB SUMMARY:

Provides social services and assistance to improve communication, and the social and psychological well-being of students for maximizing the academic functioning and to support appropriate behaviors within the school community. Provide leadership in developing a positive school climate and work collaboratively with administration, personnel, families and community professionals as appropriate to increase accessibility and effectiveness of services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties, responsibilities, and expectations set forth in this position are to be carried out in a manner that will ensure the continued goodwill, cooperation, and confidence of parents, staff, administration, and the Board of School Directors.

Serves as a resource to students to help them realize their potential and/or overcome personal, social and/or behavioral problems affecting their academic functioning.

Provides crisis intervention to students and families when difficult situations occur. Provides individual and group counseling and mediation services.

Leads or coordinates support work for such topics as social skills, problem solving, substance abuse and conflict resolution.

Provides individual and small group counseling on various issues impacting student learning Provides short term family counseling when appropriate

Acts as an ombudsman between the school and parents to clarify school procedure and policies and, in return, to explain family circumstances to school personnel.

Serves as a liaison between the school and community-based agencies. Facilitates resources referrals including referrals to appropriate treatment /assistive programs.

Identifies cases involving domestic abuse or other family problems affecting student development. Encourages parental involvement with the learning environment through correspondence, conferences, and other means.

Assists parents and students to understand and accept special needs.

Models appropriate guidance and educational engagement behaviors to parents and students to help them recognize and value education.

Encourages students and/or parents to seek additional assistance from community-based support groups and professionals when necessary.

Facilitates drug and alcohol education/prevention.

Conducts post-treatment follow-up with students returning from treatment rehabilitation programs. Conducts assessments of individuals, families, and system/organizations(classroom, school, neighborhood, district) with the goal of improving student social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes.

Maintains effective professional interactions with school personnel.

Participates in school-based educational support teams and in individual educational plans (IEP) meetings, Coordinated Service Planning for identified students, Individual School Social Worker Planning, Home School Coordinator Planning and EST teams.

Confers with teachers, other counselors, and administrators to resolve student's social, behavioral, academic and/or other problems.

Provides consultation and training to faculty on behavior management techniques and strategies, adolescent emotional development and issues, problem solving approaches and crisis intervention. May help with service training on various adolescent issues and problems.

Participates in behavioral/functional assessment of individual students.

_Revised 6/5/2023_

Consults with staff regarding student plans, referrals, and evaluations.

Consults and plans with feeder school personnel.

Confers with guidance counselors, staff, teachers, and administrators on student referrals and/or student substance use and abuse issues.

Presents and/or participates in training to faculty, students, parents and the community on prevention education or relative…